Press Releases

Support will help YCT continue to enroll and graduate rabbinic educators and leaders imbued with a welcoming, inclusive approach to Jewish education and engagement.

New York, NY -- Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (YCT), the Modern Orthodox Rabbinical School, has been granted $2.45 million from the Aviv and Jim Joseph Foundations to support its continued growth and development of rabbinic leaders and educators who exhibit a welcoming, inclusive, and open-minded approach to Jewish education and engagement. YCT alumni serve in yeshiva day schools, in community day schools and high schools, on college campuses, with communal organizations, in pulpits in communities large and small, and in numerous other outreach programs around the world. Since its founding in 1999, YCT has graduated 108 rabbis from its intensive four-year program.

“With this generous support, YCT is positioned to develop even more passionate leaders and educators who engage people in Jewish life wherever they are, regardless of their background or affiliation,” says Rabbi Asher Lopatin, President of YCT. “We are deeply committed to furthering our vision of a welcoming, meaningful, and inclusive Orthodox Jewish life.”

YCT students have a range of backgrounds and come from a wide variety of college and post-college experiences. Two-thirds of YCT graduates go into some form of education and one-third become rabbis at congregations. The new grant support will help YCT implement its recently completed strategic plan that charts a course for increased enrollment and graduation of rabbinic leaders equipped with diverse skills and educational approaches, applicable to everything from ancient Jewish texts to challenging contemporary issues.

“For nearly two decades, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah has built a record of success in recruiting, training, and placing rabbis who promote a Judaism that is rich in content and meaning, as well as accessible and inclusive," adds Chani Laufer, President of the Aviv Foundation. “We are excited to support YCT's growing impact on Jewish communities around the world and on modern Jewish life and learning."

YCT also houses the Lindenbaum Center for Halakhic Studies, a platform for thought leadership that promotes a vigorous engagement with Modern Orthodox halakha and strives to enrich the community’s discourse around it. The Center teaches and disseminates a sophisticated Modern Orthodox halakha that is relevant, honest, and multi-vocal.

“YCT is a long-time, valued partner of the Foundation, with graduates who blend deep Jewish knowledge with dynamic education strategies,” adds Barry Finestone, President and CEO of the Jim Joseph Foundation. “Whether on college campuses, at camp, or elsewhere, YCT alumni are uniquely prepared to speak to, and engage with, nearly all of the Jewish world.”

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The Jim Joseph Foundation invests in promising Jewish education grant initiatives. We partner with effective organizations that seek to inspire young people to discover the joy of living vibrant Jewish lives.